APEC Project Funding Sources

This page provides information on the availability and sources of APEC project funding. This page will:

describe the different types of APEC project funds;

describe the eligibility criteria for each fund; and

indicate which Responsible APEC Forum undertakes Concept Note eligibility checking and scoring for each of each of the APEC project funds.

There are four main sources of funding for APEC projects: the General Project Account (GPA), the Trade and Investment Liberalisation and Facilitation Account (TILF), the APEC Support Fund (comprising a General Fund and a number of Sub-Funds) and self-funding.

Projects compete with other projects for APEC funding. It is vital that Project Overseers understand the eligibility requirements and the funding priority areas that adhere to the project funding source they are applying to, before you commit your Concept Note at the Final Submission Deadline. Following the Final Submission Deadline, Concept Notes are assessed by all economies within the APEC forum responsible for the funding source in question, to determine eligibility. Reasons should be given where Concept Notes are considered ineligible, to assist Project Overseers, but note that if a Concept Note is found to be ineligible, it cannot proceed any further in the Project Session in question, and it cannot be considered against an alternative funding source (such as the ASF General Fund or the GPA). Ineligible Concept Notes may, however, be re-submitted at a subsequent Project Session.

The responsible APEC forum will also score Concept Notes. These scores alone determine the final funding outcome for each project fund. It is therefore important that Project Overseers understand the scoring framework that will be applied to their Concept Notes during the scoring process. From 2018 and onwards, a new integrated APEC Scoring Template will be used to score all Concept Notes, which replaces the forum and committee level scoring templates used in 2017 and earlier. The new integrated template has 5 scoring criteria, including some criteria which are new for 2018, such as SupportsCapacity Building and Supports Cross-fora Collaboration and Benefits to Multiple Economies. Thirty per cent of the total score is allocated to the extent that the project supports the priorities of the APEC fund to which it is applying. Project Overseers are strongly encouraged to review the APEC Scoring Template closely when developing their Concept Notes, to ensure their proposed project addresses all 5 criteria. A copy of the APEC Scoring Template is available here.

Please contact the Program Director responsible for your forum, or the APEC Project Management Unit (PMU@apec.org), if you have any questions while preparing your Concept Note for submission.

Estimated Funds Available, Project Session 1, 2019
The following table provides an estimate of funds available. The amount available can change depending on new contributions, returned funding from completed projects, and the allocation of funds from the previous approval sessions.

Any unspent monies will be rolled over into future project funding sessions.

All figures are USD.

Description and Eligibility Criteria for APEC Project Funds

General Project Account (GPA)

GPA funding is sourced from mandatory annual APEC membership contributions. There are no restrictions on funding from the GPA. It can support all types of APEC projects. All member economies may apply for funding under GPA. Projects may be fully funded under GPA, as there are no self-funding requirements for GPA-funded projects. Nonetheless, Concept Notes must be compliant with the Guidebook on APEC Projects including the requirements on co-sponsorship and endorsement, to be eligible for funding under the GPA.

The GPA funding priorities change each year. They are determined by combining the priority host-year themes of the incoming and outgoing APEC Host. The final list of priorities are endorsed by Senior Officials at the Informal Senior Officials Meeting (ISOM). The GPA funding priorities for 2019 are:

Strengthening Inclusive Growth through Structural Reform and by Increasing Opportunities for Women and SMEs

Responsible APEC forum: Senior Officials Meeting (SOM)

Trade and Investment Liberalisation and Facilitation Account (TILF)

Please note: TILF funding is subject to a cap of US$100,000 (not inclusive of any self-funding/co-funding portion of the project) with effect from 1 January 2015.

TILF was established in 1997. TILF funding is sourced from voluntary contributions from APEC economies. All APEC economies may apply for funding under TILF.

To be eligible for TILF, projects must clearly contribute to achieving trade and investment liberalisation and facilitation objectives that are articulated by Leaders’ or Ministers’ directives or relate to at least one of the 15 areas listed in Part 1 of the Osaka Action Agenda.

The funding conditions for TILF require member economies to self-fund a percentage of the overall project cost. The self-fund requirement is 50% of the total value of the project for non-travel eligible economies, and 20% of the total value of the project for travel eligible economies. An economy proposing a project could be exempted if it has made a voluntary contribution to the project fund. If the total project value (cumulative since the year the economy began its contribution, less self-funding portion) does not exceed the total amount contributed (cumulative since the year the economy began its contribution) by 100% for non-travel eligible economies and by 250% for travel eligible economies.

ASF funding is sourced from voluntary contributions from APEC economies. All APEC economies may apply for funding under ASF. There is no self-funding requirement for ASF-funded projects.

ASF projects must clearly demonstrate that they address the capacity-building needs for APEC developing economies in agreed high-priority areas for economic and technical cooperation, although projects are still open to participation by all APEC members. Capacity building in APEC refers to a process to enable member economies - particularly developing economies - to obtain, share, strengthen, maintain and develop knowledge, abilities, skills and technical know-how to improve their policies and regulations or their institutional structures or processes. In APEC, capacity building can be delivered through a range of activities including (but not limited to) workshops, symposia, seminars and training events.

For more information, you can refer to the Capacity Building Goals, Objectives and Principles in Appendix K of the Guidebook on APEC Projects; and the APEC Capacity Building Policy which can be found here.

These criteria apply to the ASF-General Fund and ASF Sub-Funds that are described below.

APEC Support Fund – General Fund

Please note: The ASF General Fund is subject to a cap of US$150,000 (not inclusive of any self-funding/co-funding portion of the project) with effect from 1 January 2015.

The ASF General Fund was established in May 2005.

To be eligible for this fund, your Concept Note must demonstrate that your project supports capacity building needs for APEC developing economies.

Capacity building in APEC refers to a process to enable member economies - particularly developing economies - to obtain, share, strengthen, maintain and develop knowledge, abilities, skills and technical know-how to improve their policies and regulations or their institutional structures or processes. In APEC, capacity building can be delivered through a range of activities including (but not limited to) workshops, symposia, seminars and training events.

The funding priority areas covered by the ASF General Fund are the ECOTECH Priority Themes articulated in the Manila Framework, specifically:

Facilitating technology flows and harnessing technologies for the future;

Safeguarding the quality of life through environmentally sound growth; and

Developing and strengthening the dynamism of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs);

Integration into the global economy;

Human security and counter-terrorism capacity building;

Promoting the development of knowledge-based economies; and

Addressing social dimension of globalisation.

Your Concept Note must address how your project will support one or more of these Priority Themes. Voluntary contributions since 2005 to the ASF General Fund are as follows: Australia: US$ 16 million; China: US$ 4 million; Russia: US$ 3 million; Korea: US$ 2 million; Chinese Taipei: US$ 900,000; United States: US$ 795,142; Japan: US$ 637,051; and New Zealand: US$30,376.

Responsible APEC forum: Senior Officials Meeting (SOM)

APEC Support Fund – Sub-Fund on Human Security

The ASF Sub-Fund on Human Security was established in 2006. To be eligible for this fund, your Concept Note must demonstrate that your project supports capacity building needs for APEC developing economies. The funding priority areas for the ASF Sub-Fund on Human Security are:

Counter-Terrorism and Secure Trade;

Health Security, including Avian and Pandemic Influenza, and HIV/AIDS;

Established in 2009, this Sub-Fund supports capacity building initiatives contributing to the promotion of energy efficiency and low carbon measures in the APEC region.

Voluntary contributions to this Sub-Fund since 2009 are as follows: Japan: US$ 20.6 million; Chinese Taipei: US$ 500,000; and United States: US$ 392,000.

To be eligible for funding under this Sub-Fund, Concept Notes must address the Sub-Fund eligibility criteria, which include co-endorsement by the Energy Working Group. Detailed instructions on the application process and the eligibility criteria for the Sub-Fund can be accessed HERE.

Responsible APEC forum: Energy Working Group (EWG)

APEC Support Fund – Sub-Fund on Supply Chain Connectivity

Established in 2014, this Sub-Fund supports developing economies in overcoming specific obstacles they face in enhancing supply chain performance, in line with the capacity building plan to be executed as part of advancing Stage 3 of the Systematic Approach to the Supply Chain Connectivity Framework Action Plan. They should: be designed to meet APEC’s objective of a 10% improvement in supply chain performance; concern delivering technical assistance to economies who agree to participate; help economies implement their WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement commitments, and; be tailored to meet the recipient economies’ specific needs and directly involve officials in their supply chain agencies.

To be eligible for funding under this Sub-Fund, project concept notes must address the Sub-Fund eligibility criteria. Please contact the APEC Secretariat at pmu@apec.org for further information.

Established in 2015, this Sub-Fund supports activities in APEC developing economies that improve the enabling environment for trade and investment in mining, and improve the capacity of local businesses, the mining industry and/or regulators, in one of the following areas: sustainability, corporate social responsibility, and transparent and efficient regulation and governance. Projects must involve the private sector, and they must also address APEC’s gender objectives by demonstrating that they will benefit women, and in particular not disadvantage women.

To be eligible for funding under this Sub-Fund, project concept notes must address the Sub-Fund eligibility criteria. Please contact the APEC Secretariat at pmu@apec.org for further information.

Voluntary contributions to the Sub-Fund since 2015 are as follows: Australia: US$ 915,573.

Responsible APEC forum: Mining Task Force (MTF)

APEC Support Fund – Sub-Fund on Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific and Global Value Chains

Please note: The ASF Sub-Fund on FTAAP and GVCs is subject to a cap of US$150,000 (not inclusive of any self-funding/co-funding portion of the project).

Established in 2015, this Sub-Fund supportsthe Beijing Roadmap for APEC’s Contribution to the Realization of the FTAAP and APEC Strategic Blueprint for Promoting Global Value Chains (GVCs) Development and Cooperation endorsed at the APEC Economic Leaders Meeting in 2014 (Annex A and B of the 2014 Leaders’ Declaration).

To be eligible for funding under this Sub-Fund, project concept notes must address the Sub-Fund eligibility criteria. Detailed instructions on the application process and the eligibility criteria for the Sub-Fund can be accessed HERE.

Voluntary contributions to the Sub-Fund since 2015 are as follows: China: US$3 million over 5 years.

Please note: The ASF Sub-Fund on IERG is subject to a cap of US$150,000 (not inclusive of any self-funding/co-funding portion of the project).

Established in 2015, this Sub-Fund supportsthe direction set in the APEC Accord on Innovative Development, Economic Reform and Growth endorsed at the APEC Economic Leaders Meeting in 2014 (Annex C of the 2014 Leaders’ Declaration).

To be eligible for funding under this Sub-Fund, project concept notes must address the Sub-Fund eligibility criteria. Detailed instructions on the application process and the eligibility criteria for the Sub-Fund can be accessed HERE.

Voluntary contributions to the Sub-Fund since 2015 are as follows: China: US$2 million over 5 years.

Please note: The ASF Sub-Fund on Connectivity is subject to a cap of US$150,000 (not inclusive of any self-funding/co-funding portion of the project).

Established in 2015, this Sub-Fund supportsthe direction set in the APEC Connectivity Blueprint for 2015-2025 endorsed at the APEC Economic Leaders Meeting in 2014 (Annex D of the 2014 Leaders’ Declaration).

To be eligible for funding under this Sub-Fund, project concept notes must address the Sub-Fund eligibility criteria. Detailed instructions on the application process and the eligibility criteria for the Sub-Fund can be accessed HERE.

Voluntary contributions to the Sub-Fund since 2015 are as follows: China: US$1.5 million over 5 years.

To be considered for the MSME Sub-Fund, concept notes must demonstrate how developing APEC MSMEs will directly participate in, and benefit from, the proposal from a poverty reduction perspective.

To be eligible for funding under this Sub-Fund, project Concept Notes must address the Sub-Fund eligibility criteria. Detailed instructions on the application process and the eligibility criteria for the Sub-Fund, can be accessed HERE.

Voluntary contributions to the Sub-Fund since 2016 are as follows: Canada: US$1.5 million over 3 years.

Established in 2017, this Sub-Fund assists developing economies to implement their structural reform priorities nominated under RAASR. To be eligible for funding under this sub-fund, project concept notes must support the implementation of developing economies’ RAASR Individual Action Plans (IAPs). Project concept notes should include an explanation of how they support the economy’s IAP.

To be eligible for funding under this Sub-Fund, project concept notes must address the Sub-Fund eligibility criteria. Instructions on the eligibility criteria for the Sub-Fund can be accessed HERE.

Voluntary contributions to the Sub-Fund since 2017 are as follows: Australia: US$2.5 million.

Responsible APEC forum: Economic Committee (EC)

APEC Support Fund – Sub-Fund on Women and the Economy

Established in 2017, this Sub-Fund aims to institutionalise and provide ongoing support to advance APEC’s objectives of increasing women’s economic participation. It will support new and ongoing initiatives related to advancing women’s economic participation.

Voluntary contributions to this Sub-Fund since 2017 are as follows: Australia: US$ 751,281; Chinese Taipei: US$ 600,000; United States: US$ 500,000; and New Zealand: US$30,376.

To be eligible for funding under this Sub-Fund, Concept Notes must address the Sub-Fund eligibility criteria, which include co-endorsement by the Policy Partnership on Women and the Economy. Detailed instructions on the application process and the eligibility criteria for the Sub-Fund can be accessed HERE.

Established in 2019, this Sub-Fund supports APEC’s strategic objective of supporting balanced, inclusive, sustainable, innovative, and secure growth. It aims to provide ongoing support for APEC economies to improve the participation of remote communities in mainstream economic activities. The Sub-fund will support new and ongoing initiatives related to advancing the economic development of people in remote communities.

Voluntary contributions to this Sub-Fund since 2019 are as follows: Australia: US$ 820,000.

To be eligible for funding under this Sub-Fund, Concept Notes must address the Sub-Fund eligibility criteria. Detailed instructions on the application process and the eligibility criteria for the Sub-Fund can be accessed HERE.

Self-funding refers to any non-APEC amount provided to the project. Sources can include member economies, private sector partners, or other international organizations. Any sponsorship of projects must meet the requirements of the APEC Sponsorship Guidelines.

Fully self-funded projects can be put forward at any time to the relevant APEC forum for approval by consensus. These projects do not need to be submitted as concept notes first or assessed using the QAF. They do not need to be approved by BMC. Self-funded projects and self-funded components of projects must comply with the APEC Publication Guidelines.

POs of self-funded projects must submit the Self-Funded Project Proposal Coversheet into the APEC project database before commencement of the project. POs of self-funded projects are strongly encouraged to submit completion reports, the template for which can be found here.